FIL ED U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S EL EVENTHCI RCUI T MARCH 16, 2012 J OHN L EY CL ERK [DO NOT PUBLISH]

IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

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TERESA OLIVIA BROW N, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll Pl ai nt iff -Ap pe ll an t, ve rs us JOHN DEERE PRODUCT, INC., JOYE SEILBE, In du stria l Re la ti on s R ep res en ta ti ve , Jo hn Deere P ro du ct s, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll Defen da nt s- App el le es .

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co urt forth e So ut he rnDis tri ctof Ge or gi a

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (Ma rch 16 , 20 12 ) Befo re BARKETT, W ILSON an d ANDERSON, Ci rcu itJu dg es . PER CURI AM:Teres a Oli vi a Bro wn ap pe al s the di st ric t co urt’s su a s po nt e di sm is sa l, pu rs ua ntto 28 U.S.C. § 1 91 5( e)(2 )(B) (i) an d (i i), o f he r pr o s e co m pl ai nt . In h er co m pl ai ntsh e al le ge s emplo y m en t d is cri m in at io n b as edup on ge nd er. On app eal , Bro wn ar gu es th atth e d is tri ctco urt erredinde nyin g h er m ot io n t o app oi ntco un se l be cau se sh e h adde m on st rat edhe r la ckof f in an ces an d was un ab le to ob ta in an at to rn ey on he r own . Bro wn al so ass ert s tha t s he is en ti tl edto equi tabl e to ll in g be cau se sev eral day s b efo re the de ad li ne forfil in g h er co m pl ai ntsh e ex pe rie nc eda traum at ic in ci de ntinwhi chsev eral in di vi du al s b ro ke in to he r ho us e an d s earc he d fo r va lu ab le s an d dru gs . I W e rev ie w a di st ric t co urt’s d eci si on no t t o app oi ntco un se l fo r ab us e o f di sc ret io n. Smi th v. Sc h. Bd. of Ora ng e Cn ty . , 48 7 F .3d13 61 , 13 65 (11 th Cir . 20 07 ) (p er cu ria m). “ A pl ai nt iff ina ci vi l ca se ha s n o c on st itut io na l ri gh t t o co un se l.” Bas s v. Per ri n , 17 0 F .3d13 12 , 13 20 (11 thCir . 19 99 ). Pur su an t t o 2 8 U.S.C. § 1 91 5( e)(1 ), a co urt h as th e d is cret io n t o app oi ntco un se l fo r anin di ge nt pl ai nt iff , bu t co un se l s ho ul d b e ap po in te d o nl y inex cep ti on al cir cum st an ces . Bas s , 17 0 F .3dat 1 32 0. Ex cep ti on al cir cu m st an ces ge ne ral ly exi st“ whe re the fact s an d l eg al is su es are s o n ov el or c om pl ex as t o re qu ire th e as si st an ce o f a tra in edpra ct it io ne r.” Fow le r v. J on es , 89 9 F .2d10 88 , 10 96 (11 thCir . 19 90 ). 2The fact s an d l eg al is su es inth is cas e are ne ithe r no ve l n orco m pl ex , and Bro wn’s fi li ng s ev id en ce an ab il ity to co m m un ic at e wit h t he co urt. The refo re, the di st ric t co urt d idno t ab us e it s d is cret io n i n d en y in g B ro wn’s m ot io n fo r ap po in tm en t o f co un se l. II A di st ric t co urt’s d is m is sa l o f a p la in ti ff’s co m pl ai ntforfai lure t o s at is fy th e st atut e o f li m it at io ns is subjec t t o de no vo rev ie w. Ja cks on v. Astru e , 50 6 F .3d 13 49 , 13 52 (11 th Cir . 20 07 ). W e rev ie w de no vo th e que st io n o f whe th er a pl ai nt iff is en ti tl edto equi tabl e to ll in g. Id . Pro se br ie fs an d p le ad in gs are t o b e co ns tru edli be ral ly. Se e Ta nn en ba um v. Un it ed Stat es , 14 8 F .3d12 62 , 12 63 (11 th Ci r. 19 98 ) (p er cu ria m). Afte r ex haus ti ng adm in is tra ti ve rem ed ie s, an in di vi du al with acla im un de r Tit le VII of

th e Ci vi l Ri gh ts Act o f 19 64 m ay in it ia te a ci vi l l aws ui t. Up on rece iv in g arig ht -to -s ue let te r fro m th e Equ al Em

pl oym en t Op po rtu ni ty Co m m is si on (“ EEOC”), a p la in ti ff h as ni ne ty day s t o fi le a co m pl ai nt . 42 U.S.C. § 20 00 e-5 (f)(1 ). Thi s t im e li m itis no n- juri sd ic ti on al an d i s the refo re s ub ject t o equi tabl e to ll in g. Zi

pes v. Tr an s Wor ld

Air li nes, In c. , 45 5 U.S. 3 85 , 39 8, 1 02 S. Ct . 11 27 , 11 35 (19 82 ). Neve rth el es s, we h av e h el d tha t “ tra di ti on al equi tabl e to ll in g p rin ci pl es requi re a cl ai m an t t o ju st ify her u nt im el y fil in g b y a sh owi ng of 3ex tra or di na ry cir cu m st an ces .” Ja cks on , 50 6 F .3dat 1 35 3. We hav e st at edth at ex tra or di na ry

cir cu m st an ces m ay

in cl ud e “ frau d, m is in fo rm at io n, o r de li be rat e co nc eal m en t.” Id
. at 1 35 5. Equi tabl e to ll in g m ay be warran te d i f a p ers on ha s an ex tre m e m en ta l i ll ne ss th atde pr iv es a pe rs on of t he ab il ity to ti m el y fil e. Hun te r v. Ferr el l , 58 7 F .3d13 04 , 13 08 –1 0 (1 1t h C ir. 2 00 9) (pe r cu ria m). Bro wn co nc ed es th athe r co m pl ai ntwas fi le d m or e th anni ne ty day s af te r sh e rec ei ve d arig ht -to -s ue let te r fro m th e EEOC. Thu s, unl es s B ro wn i s ab le to sh ow ex tra or di na ry

cir cu m st an ces en ti tl in g h er t o e qu it ab le to ll in g, h er co m pl ai nt was un ti m el y . Se e Ja cks on , 50 6 F .3dat 1 35 3. Altho ug h B ro wn al le ge s tha t the di st ric t co urt cl erk ’s off ic e sh ou ldha ve in fo rm edhe r th atsh e co ul d fi le foranex te ns io n o f ti m e b y all eg in g e xt rao rd in ary ci rcu m st an ces , sh e h as no t i de nt ifi edan y leg al requi rem en t i n s up po rt o f he r arg um en t. Mo reo ve r, th e in act io n o f th e cl erk ’s off ic e d oe s n otam ou ntto ex tra or di na ry

cir cu m st an ces be cau se Bro wn h as no t al le ge d a ny mis feas an ce o n th e p artof t he cle rk ’s off ic e th atwou ldsupp ort t ol li ng . See Id. at13 55 . Nor d id th e al le ge d h om e in va si on , whi chto okpl ace t wo d ay s b efo re the ni ne ty-day de ad li ne , am ou ntto anex tra or di na ry cir cu m st an ce tha t wo ul d ju st ify equ it ab le to ll in g. Th e fac ts all eg eddo no t i nd ic at e th atth e ex pe rie nc e d ep riv edBro wn o f th e ab il ity

to ti m el y fil e. Even aft er i nv as io n, s he ha d t he ab il ity to fil e h er 4co m

pl ai nt . AFFIRMED .

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